LinkedIn introduces interactive network visualiser InMaps

25 Jan 2011

Business networking site LinkedIn has rolled out a new interactive feature, InMaps, which provides a visual presentation of a LinkedIn user’s network of contacts.

InMaps lays out a network in clusters or groups and reveals how connections are related to each other. A LinkedIn user’s map is colour coded, with each colour representing a group, such as former classmates or previous employers.

Bigger names are those of people who are the most connected within a specific cluster or group. Clicking on a contact within a circle reveals his or her profile on the right, and how they’re connected to connections.

"Your map is actually a view into how your professional world has been created over time," Ali Imam wrote in TheLinkedIn Blog.

"To get a sense of how that’s true, label each cluster (colour) and explore your connections to see who are the major bridges on your map. You can use those insights to measure your own impact or influence, or create opportunities for someone else."